the weather vane will say it smells like rain today

[lancifolium]

WHO: Lily Evans & You!
WHEN: Throughout early June
WHERE: The farm mostly for now, hopefully branching out to the woods, the trials, etc.
WHAT: A catch-all! Some farm and forest based things, maybe the trials will make an appearance (hopefully)
WARNINGS: None so far, will update as needed

( starters in comments, both open and otherwise, feel free to hmu if you don’t see anything that suits either via pm or on plurk, or toss starts my way, whatever’s clever. if brackets are more your thing i’m good to match format. )

Comments

a smattering of starts, open to everyone

[lancifolium]

1) DRYING OUT – (1-2 days after arrival)

The first day after getting out of the lake Lily had been too shaken up for the extensive weirdness of her circumstances to sink in. It was hard not to think about spending the night in the bottom of the lake, and the hand-shaped bruise around her wrist reminded her of the moment her thoughts strayed too far.

Thankfully, there was always something to be done, and once she had orientated herself at the massive farmhouse, tending to the sodden mess that was her bag and its contents provided her with all the ample distraction a person could need.

Without her wand, Lily would have been somewhat more helpless, and it had been the first thing she checked for after getting out of the lake, between gulping down breaths of air. She felt the same sense of comfort as she did now, pulling it out of the pocket of her slacks as she sank to sit on the ground of one of the storage barns.

Reaching into her bag with a weary sigh Lily drew out the soggy hardcover copy of Wuthering Heights she had taken for the train ride from school. She was careful as she set it on the ground, and winced while lifting the cover to expose the flimsy, soaked, and already warping pages within. It was never going to go back to normal, she hoped the good bits could be salvaged.

With a swift, complicated motion a jet of hot air burst from the tip of Lily’s wand, allowing her to start the long, arduous process of seeing what she could save, working first on the book, before reaching back into the bag for another damp object to try and save.

2) IN THE GARDEN

This was more like it. She liked the garden, she liked the kale - even if she had no idea how to use it, she liked the way it felt just the slightest bit easier to breathe here. It was likely just the presence of old magic, coupled with the way a few plants always seemed to make the air a little sweeter, but she was grateful for it, whatever it was.

Not to mention those spells that hung around this place - however long ago they had been cast were intriguing, and Lily’s interest was all the more piqued when she discovered the rune that seemed to be close to the heart of the magical knot holding the garden’s hospitable nature together.

“Terrific,” she muttered absently, stooping low to study the rune closely before a sound nearby made her straighten up.

Squinting in the daylight she glanced around the perimeter of the garden, stopping when she spotted the other person. Without a moment’s hesitation, she walked towards them, smiling politely as she gave a little wave.

“Hello! Do you know what that rune’s all about?”

Drying out!

[sergeant_slick]

A place never really felt secure until you knew the layout. And with everything that had happened to him recently, Slick was not staying here unless he had an escape plan figured out ahead of time. So soon after he arrived, he was doing a full sweep of the farmstead, top to bottom.

Bit hard to think strategically while recovering from a head injury, but like hells he was gonna be settled until he did this.

He walked the grounds as systematically as he could, poking his head in doorways and checking the angles on potential defensible positions. His rifle was all the way back on Christophsis, but he could figure something out, he was sure of that. He'd always improvised with flair.

He was certainly doing his best to adapt on short-notice. He almost looked local, dressed in a shabby collection of stolen clothes, most of his armor hidden in a sack he was carrying with him. But he couldn't hide the black underarmor that gloved his hands and peaked out around his neck, or the white-armored boots. His hair was a couple days out from the last time he'd shaved, but it had still obviously been a painfully sharp military cut not too long ago. The red dye was still in his eyebrows too.

Anybody who knew clones would be able to spot him a mile off. The weird thing was, nobody here seemed to have any idea. It was a big galaxy, but--

"Ah, sorry. Just having a look around." He'd just walked in on somebody in part of the storage complex. Looked to be about senior cadet age--or however the hell non-clones counted those things. Probably another abductee, right? Why the hells were cadets ending up here?

And what in a Hutt's arse was that thing? "What's that?"

[lancifolium]

After getting through Wuthering Heights and leaving the book off to the side, its warped cover open as the now wavily textured pages continued to dry out, Lily started on her notebooks, not wishing to survey the damage done to one of her favorite novels just yet.

Dismayed by the discovery that her time being held at the bottom of the lake had caused much of the writing to turn into a sad, blurry, graphite smear, she cast the Hot Air Charm again and began to work through the book's ruined pages anyway. She was engrossed enough in the work at hand that she didn't notice the sound of approaching footfalls until they were nearly at the entrance to the barn she had tucked away in.

Nearly to the end of the page she was working on she persisted at her work for a moment longer, long enough that the unexpected arrival could watch what she was doing. The charm's effect cut off when she looked up at the gentleman, caught off-guard enough by the apology at the intrusion to smile at him - cautious but sincere.

Back home the Statute of Secrecy was very strict about who got to know about magic, and who didn't, but after her arrival and meeting the sorcess Karsa, Lily was quick to understand that here, magic simply just got to be. Which was different, helpful, but different.

"It's my wand," she said, lifting it slightly so he could get a better look at it while she sized him up from her spot on the floor. "Cool boots. Do you like David Bowie?"

[sergeant_slick]

"Ah." Okay. Sure.

"Maybe it's the translator," he raised his wrist to give the bracelet a shake, "But that didn't really tell me anything." He hadn't really had to deal with them for the few months he'd been deployed, but you got warned to never completely rely on translation. Your own brain could usually do better.

He had no idea how that carried over to bracelets of rocks that spoke directly into your head, but he was trying not to think about that too hard at the moment.

"I've got no idea what a day-vid bowie is either."

[lancifolium]

"Oh, right then, um." Lily cleared her throat and looked again at the wand in her hand. "It's sort of a conduit, if you like, for magic." Looking back to him she gave a hesitant nod before turning her attention to the book at her feet.

Once again she used the complicated little hand motion to cause the jet of warm air to return, blowing through the notebook's pages before gently closing the cover.

"Are you," she began, faltering. "Did that make anything clearer?" One of the benefits of the Statute of Secrecy was that one didn't find themselves having to have the 'yes I am a witch' conversation with that many people. She supposed now she didn't have much choice but to learn how - particularly if magic wasn't meant to be some big secret here.

[sergeant_slick]

Magic. Either the translator was still on the fritz, or she really was talking about magic. Which usually would've meant it was complete slight-of-hand sleenshit, but she had been using the thing when she didn't know anybody had been watching.

And people did refer to what Jedi did as magic, sometimes.

"Well, there's nothing like that where I'm from." Hopefully. It was worth checking, though. He was trying to stay casual, but he wasn't quite managing to hide the tension. He seemed wary of coming any closer. "What else does it do? Move things by wishing it, read minds, that sort of thing?"

[lancifolium]

Part of her expected that any conversation about magic with someone who hadn't known of its existence prior would not be without some form of nervousness on the as yet uninformed side - but she was rattled by being here already, and really didn't want to scare the guy.

"I couldn't read minds," Lily said quickly. She knew it was theoretically possible (and suspected her old Headmaster very capable of it) but hadn't done more than casually research Legilimency for the occasional term paper.

"I can fix things? Protect myself if I have to, though," she gestured down at the satchel at her feet. "Not as effectively as I had hoped when taken by surprise." Shaking her head at the very unpleasant thought, she looked back to the stranger, realizing he had seen her at work and knew more about her than she did about him.

"Where do you come from?"

2

[somebadnews]

Five has seen her. That first day she came in out of nowhere, he'd been aware of the new arrival. Nobody else seems to think it's strange at all to welcome anyone who seems out of place. There's been a number of them recently, and they all seem to gravitate here if they weren't outright invited by those hired to keep an eye out for them. The assumption, he's gathered, is that they have no choice. That they're stuck here together, united in a common goal.

But Five isn't like most people, and neither are his priorities. He doesn't simply accept things because they've got other distractions.

At a distance she seemed perfectly pleasant; barely phased by her situation. He watched her from a distance when she was drying her things not long ago, getting comfortable in their temporary shelter, but waits until he finds her alone in the garden to step forward.

When she comes over and asks him about the rune, he simply smiles up at her. Trying for the disarming 13 year-old boy he's never been that great at impersonating. It usually works.

"Enjoying some gardening?"

[lancifolium]

"No, just having a look around," her smile didn't falter but there was something about the way that the boy looked at her that reminded her of the expression some of her fellow students had while they were trying to get away with something they shouldn't. It was subtle enough that she filed the detail away under 'speculation', and tried the question again.

"I'm Lily. Have you been here for long? Karsa said there were other arrivals like me who have been here a while. Do you know anything about how the runes work?"

Since her arrival Lily had been getting her bearings slowly, piecing together the scope of her situation bit by bit. She appreciated having a chance to talk to anyone who might help her get a clearer picture of what she was in for. Not to mention the apparent influence of magic in this place, this world, whatever it was, was intriguing on a multitude of levels all on its own, and it was something she meant to learn about whenever the chance presented itself.

Someone who might know more than she did was, to Lily, the definition of a chance.

[somebadnews]

Just having a look around. That's just great. Not that they have any means of screening around here, but she probably supposes dropping Karsa's name is good enough to prove that she's like the rest of them. Far be it for that woman to give any of them a heads up that she's sending anyone, or where they were found.

It's fine. He'll figure it out himself.

"Haven't a clue." And that doesn't chafe at him at all, because he most definitely knows more than she does in the general sense. His smile gets that much tighter as he takes a breath to reply. "My name's Five. You just arrived, didn't you? I don't know if that would have been my first question."

[lancifolium]

She got the sense he was trying to be instructive, and she didn't appreciate it, and though she kept her face as pleasantly neutral as she could, Lily couldn't stop one eyebrow from raising at Five. Bit lordly of him really.

"Oh? And what would your have first question have been?" Her voice was light, and she didn't point out that his first question had been to inquire after her enjoyment of gardening that day. She wanted to, but that wouldn't have been productive. She wanted information, not to exchange barbs with a stranger.

"And I did, as of a few days ago. I'm trying to get my bearings." It was the truth after all. This kid was prickly, but he hadn't given her a reason not to be honest.

[somebadnews]

There's always a reason behind what he asks, and it's never really to socialize. Which might account for how he tends to come across. Not that it really matters to him, but Lily seems agreeable enough that he tries to be civil.

"I think I was more concerned about undead warlords than how they grow the turnips, personally." Truthfully, his first question on arrival had been how the hell did they screw up the timeline this badly, but he didn't actually voice it to anyone he expected to answer. He's long assumed he's the only one who can figure that out. And he will, eventually.

"A few days ago. And where did you meet our good friend Karsa?"

[lancifolium]

"If you're not going to tell me about the turnips why would I ask you about the undead warlords?" It seemed to her that leading with smaller questions yielded a better chance of getting answers, and any information was useful information.

The way he repeated what she'd had to say before tacking his own question on at the end reminded her of those police dramas her Mum and Dad liked to watch. His question made her shudder, as her hand went to her bruised wrist, grimacing.

"By the lake. That, that thing." Her expression soured, and she shook her head. "That thing in the lake," either unwilling or unable to continue - the ordeal had been miserable and its finer points were still hazy - she held up the wrist she'd been rubbing, letting Five get a look at the handprint shaped bruise around it.

2

[scrapgege]

[The man - upon closer inspection, it is, indeed, a man, although his face his so pretty and his hair so long you might be excused for having to think twice about it - gives her a smile back. When he speaks, his voice is soft and melodious, and the crystal translates, so obviously, not speaking in a language that is the same as hers.]

Their magic is very different from what I'm used to, but if I remember what they told us it warms the earth so that the plants can actually grow. It prevents the ground from freezing.

[lancifolium]

[ Lily had read about people with Veela ancestry being breathtakingly possessed with a sort of willowy and unearthly grace, and had they met in her own world she might have thought this individual to be such a person.

Her smile widened as she listened to the answer, nodding appreciatively as she looked around the garden. ]

Absolutely brilliant. I've never seen runes at work like this in such a way before, I've only read about it. It's such wonderful old magic.

[scrapgege]

It's also not something I can do, and yes, it's very old. But this place is very old. The woods are very old, and so is the earth, and the water.

[Which he doesn't particularly mind, but now that she mentions it...]

I don't know if this rune is old, though. It was there where we arrived, but i can't get a sense of who put it there or how long ago.

[lancifolium]

[ Looking back at the rune on the ground she considered what he'd said, leaning slightly to study it once again. ]

Do we know anything about the farm's previous occupants?

[ Turning back to the man she smiled, shaking her head as she held out her hand. ]

Forgive me, I'm Lily Evans, it's nice to meet you.

[scrapgege]

[The man cups his hands in front of his body and gives a small bow of his head.]

I'm called Xie Lian. Well met.

hmmm, this place belonged to a man named Anurr. Or it still does? It's actually a bit confusing. Anurr was apparently a very well respected chief among the people here and people tell legends of him and he used to use this place for meetings and things but... apparently, he's still around? And I'm not quite clear if he's alive, or dead, or undead. because the stories people tell about him go back at least four or five generations, and I know humans don't live that long.

We ended up here so we'd get outside of the city.

[lancifolium]

[ The more Xie Lian spoke, the more surprised Lily looked. She had heard bits and pieces about Anurr, and his rival Unhalad, but knowing that he had once lived on this farm was something she had not expected to hear. ]

Humans certainly don't. He's who the people in the woods follow, isn't he? The rival of the one who brought us here? Unhalad?

witch which~~~ no. 1 lmk if this is okaaay

[conjurechaos]

The lake would be beautiful if the land were not so cold, so bleak. Yennefer had walked to it's edge in hopes of finding a clue or proof she had been there besides the frigid hem of her dress. Nothing familiar is there, just more dirty water, more frost and another confused face. The girl before her looked young and decidedly wet still, instead of fretting over her body which could catch it's death whatever articles were in her bag were of greater importance.

A wand? My, what a quaint thing. She is another sorceress then, that would make two. And while Karsa was helpful in her way, there was no way to get straight answers. This little mage has a masculine favor of dress, perhaps she was traveling in disguise. On the Continent it was not unusual for women to wear men's garb in hopes of not drawing attention. Even some sorceresses of various power want anonymity, at least that is what Yennefer imagines. She paid a very dear cost to look as she does, she would not hide it. Right now she does wish that she had selected another garment. The curious weave and detail of her dress were not going to be pleasant to travel in.

She best introduce herself, yes? In true Yennefer of Vengerberg fashion she makes her presence known: "Is your grimorie treasured above your life?" Who knows. It might be.

While Lily's hair is a fiery tone even in its state, Yennefer's is dark as pitch. Her violet eyes stay widened, she was expecting an answer.

it's great! hope this works!

[lancifolium]

The sound of the stranger's voice made Lily stop with a start, the hand wrapped around her wand tightening some as she lifted her head to look over at the other woman.

"If it's all I've got to work with it might be, though, I do see your point." Glancing down at herself with a grimace Lily sighed and carefully laid the book she was holding back down.

"Are you alright?" Posing the question as she held her wand out, aimed at herself, and cast the charm again, her hair and clothing rippling under the warm jet of air. It took a moment to steam the last of the water from her clothes and she dropped her hand, looking over at the woman curiously. She seemed rather strong and mysterious, regal almost, like a figure out of a stained glass window with a legend attached to it.

Totally~!

[conjurechaos]

The basic mastery of magic, even if it was channeled through a wand, was a comforting sign. Magic meant that her own should work in this place. It was not abandoned by chaos. The tomes and books devoted to the Conjunction of the Spheres theorized that magical and unmagical realms existed, passing one another the way that planets and stars do. Somewhere there are places where there are no powers to draw from. Yennefer didn't realize it was a fear until this moment.

The question made her blink. Alright? Waking here and not knowing what had happened to her, or what became of her comrades in battle threatens panic to crawl up from the place in her chest she's shoved it too. Yennefer cast her gaze away from the girl to the lake.

"I'm alive if that's what you mean. Besides that, tired, cold and hungry." And yet here she was, wandering in the elements looking for any residual magic or detail to draw from so that she could portal back. She did not want to start a war with Nilfgaard but if she was to participate, she would see it through. "And you? How do you fair?"

At least the other sorceress was dry now. On the Continent no matter how magical or strong, anyone could fall victim to a plague or malady. There's less of a chance now that a chill would settle into her bones.

[lancifolium]

Looking down at her things Lily gestured at them sadly, and shook her head, finding it increasingly more difficult to ignore the cold while she worked. "I'll be alright, I think," the thing in the lake had let her go, and that was what mattered. She would collect herself and press on from there, however, shaken up the encounter had left her.

"Are you new here too?" That seemed to be the best way to phrase it, and Lily hoped that was the case, and this wasn't some terrible ruse sent by this world to upend her and rattle her all over again, as the thing at the bottom of the lake had done to her.

Without waiting for an answer she swept her things back into her bag and got to her feet once more, deciding it would do her a world of good to resume the task of restoring her belongings closer to a fire and away from this stupid lake.

"I'm Lily, by the way," taking a few steps closer to the other woman, she held out her hand, offering a smile. "Do you want to get closer to a fire before we both catch our death, grimoire or no?"

[conjurechaos]

"You think," one of Yennefer's eyebrows lifted up as the word hung there. She was not convinced. Though the young lady did have a brave face. Drier than she had been, she looked less like a drowned cat and more of a befuddled young lady. The lake beside them was eerily still, it's waters still held secrets as tight as a tomb. Yennefer was no longer wet but a chill attempted to cut down her spine and vibrate to her core. And what she felt there was--emptiness. Not an emotion or a feeling of longing, a distinct opening of some sort.

The next question shook her back to the present. "Oh, I am not of this place," she said haughtily. The words were flung out as if they were profane. The Continent had it's shitty places. This could be a part of it were it not so...foreign. The strange creatures and the tree, the lake that didn't seem to have a name. "...I'm still grasping wherever the hell this is."

She herself does not have a satchel to fuss over. Yennefer stepped up after the girl--Lily. Her extended hand was not offered for a clutch or a kiss, not with her palm extended. Men usually shook hands in greeting or to strike a bargain. What a simple, familiar guesture. She returns it promptly, not shying from a new experience however odd. "Yennefer." She nearly completes her title but given that Lily is rather foreign all over, for the first time she realizes that perhaps Vengerberg might seem like a made up place, a child's babble not the capitol of the kingdom of Aedirn.

The sorceresses hands were soft, the dainty hands of a lady. For living such a vivid and complicated life, her hands did not show a fraction of the work she had put forward. Be it chaos or simply herself, her touch has always been cool. "I'm not dying here." By choice and out of sheer spite.

[lancifolium]

The woman is unlike any Lily had seen before, as fantastical seeming as these strange surroundings, though she does not envy the dress the woman had arrived in. It was splendid - like if Kate Bush was a magical princess - but it couldn't possibly be warm, or especially comfortable. Her expression remained curious as the other woman took her other hand to shake. To her it seemed as though Yennefer had rarely, if ever, shaken someone's hand, an interesting detail in a world that seemed to be full of nothing but strangeness.

When the other woman firmly stated that she would not be dying here Lily grinned, giving her hand another shake before dropping it. "Then we are in accord with our goals." She appreciated it, she looked young but despite that Lily seemed determined, if damp. She would figure out whatever this was and find a way to overcome it.

"Do you want to come to the farm? That's where the others stay as well. I'll build a fire and make tea."